I admit I was skeptical when I first heard about them. Vacuums that roam around the house on their own? But, when our son upgraded and offered us his original Roomba, I didn’t say no. My husband set it up in my home office, scheduled it on his phone, and voila! I came home to a house freshly vacuumed.

Today as I sat at my desk watching it make its way around the room, I discovered it’s not only valuable for picking up carpet debris, it also teaches some useful organizing lessons. If you have an area that’s begging to be organized, consider these Timely Tips from a Roomba.

Timely Tips from a Roomba

Lesson 1 – Schedule it. The Roomba’s on a schedule, so we know the vacuuming is going to get done. Similarly, rather than waiting till you feel like it, which may be never, schedule your organizing project for a specific day and time.

Lesson 2 – Work at strategic times. Our Roomba comes on when we’re at work (today being an exception). Figure out when you’re most productive and plan to organize during that time of day.

Lesson 3 – Remove distractions. We’re careful to keep cords and things out of its way so it doesn't become entangled and stop. Before you begin organizing remove distractions—turn off phone notifications, get a babysitter, etc.

Lesson 4 – Program efficiency. It’s fascinating to watch the Roomba strategically cover every area of the room. Similarly, your organizing efficiency will increase when you don’t bounce around the room or house. Start in one spot and work strategically around the room.

Lesson 5 – First things first. The most advanced Roombas vacuum and then mop. When it comes to organizing, always purge first and then containerize.

Lesson 6 – Be persistent and willing to adjust along the way. Our Roomba is amazingly persistent. It continually adjusts until it gets the difficult places done. While organizing you may run into barriers. If things aren’t fitting where you think they should be, consider making adjustments. Try new ways, places, or purge some more, just don’t give up.

Lesson 7 – Know how and when to recharge. This amazing little machine knows when it’s getting low on energy. It makes its way back to the charger, clicks in, and then picks up where it left off when recharged. Plan an organizing break before you’re depleted of energy. Schedule a snack, walk, or power nap—whatever charges your batteries, and then get back to it.

Lesson 8 – Release the debris. Yes, you can even order a Roomba with a self-emptying automatic dirt disposal. Unfortunately, unless you hire me, you have to haul away your own organizing “debris.” Make sure you finish your project--relocate misplaced items, throw out the trash, and put donations into your car right away.

Lesson 9 – If you get stuck, get help. Last week I could tell Roomba had done its job, but it was nowhere to be found. I finally discovered it stuck under our oversized rocker. I picked it up and helped it back to its home. Sometimes when we get stuck it’s okay to ask for help. You can find a list of Professional Organizers at NAPO.net, or visit my website, www.OrganizedByChoice.com, for more information.